To determine the number of deaths among school-age children in a county, which data source is most appropriate?

• A. Birth certificates
• B. School attendance records
• C. Death certificates
• D. Police reports

Answer: (C)

To count deaths in a defined population, you need a source that officially records each death. Death certificates serve as the official record of every death in a jurisdiction and include key details like the date of death, age, and place of residence. This makes it possible to identify and tally all deaths among school-age children within a specific county over a given period, and to refine the count by age groups if needed.

Birth certificates only record births, not deaths, so they can’t help you measure mortality. School attendance records reflect how many students are enrolled or present, not who has died. Police reports may document certain fatalities but are not comprehensive or systematically collected for all deaths, so they’re not reliable for estimating total mortality in a population.